Pacifica officials say the coastal city has run out of easy budget fixes. On Nov. 3, voters decide whether to add a penny to every dollar spent on taxable goods in town. Measure BB would create a 1% transactions and use tax, which most people simply call a sales tax.

What the measure does

According to the San Mateo County impartial analysis, Measure BB would add Chapter 3.20, the "Transactions and Use Tax of 2026," to Pacifica's municipal code. It would add 1 cent to the cost of a $1 taxable item bought in Pacifica, on top of existing sales taxes. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration would collect it the same way it collects current sales taxes. Groceries and prescription medicine are exempt under state law. Residents and visitors alike would pay it.

The city estimates the tax would raise about $5 million a year until voters end it, with the actual amount depending on how much people spend in Pacifica. It is a general tax, so the money goes into the general fund and can pay for any city purpose. The ballot question lists police, fire and 911 response, paving the worst streets, and maintaining parks, beaches and public spaces. It also promises public disclosure and independent annual audits.

Why the city says it needs the money

The City Council voted unanimously in a special meeting to put the tax on the ballot, Coastside News reported. Officials warned there was nothing left to cut without hurting police, fire and road repairs. The paper reported that the city faces large deferred-maintenance costs for its roads and for big projects such as the partially collapsed Pacifica Municipal Pier. We could not confirm the exact dollar figures from the article text available to us, so we have left them out.

A "Yes on Measure BB" committee of residents is campaigning for the tax. It argues that every dollar stays in Pacifica and that the revenue protects the city from further service cuts. We did not find an organized opposition campaign in the sources we checked. The county voter guide includes the official arguments for and against.

What your vote means

  • Yes: Pacifica adds a 1% local sales tax, an estimated $5 million a year for city services.
  • No: no new tax. The city would keep working within its current budget.

Measure BB needs a simple majority to pass. Pacifica voters will also see Measure T, a Pacifica School District parcel tax that needs two-thirds approval.